The Trump Administration is Cutting Education Funding. That’s a Huge Mistake.

Budget cuts across all departments of the federal government have recently made headlines. But one that directly affects us as Walls students the most may be the cuts to the Department of Education which was effectively axed by the Trump administration before a court order mandated the rehiring of Dept. employees. One of the main roles of the Department of Education is processing student loans. With the recent cuts, it will take significantly longer to process the many loans that are coming in, a particularly big problem as experts warn that the US may be headed for a recession. 

Like many other students at Walls, I will likely be at least partially reliant on these loans if I choose to attend college or university, and these barriers only make the process harder. Not to mention that this will make it even more difficult for those who cannot afford higher education without loan assistance, further exacerbating inequality in the U.S.

Beyond higher education, schools across the country are already suffering from funding shortages, a situation only worsened by these new cuts. Even within our own school, we’ve felt the effects. This year, we lost two teachers, a change that caused a great deal of dismay among the Walls community. These budget cuts impact schools nationwide, particularly through teacher shortages, which strike at the heart of school communities. They only deepen a problem that has been growing for years. Finally, as part of the ever-growing list of threats the current administration has made against minority groups, the budget cuts to the Department of Education directly affect funding for grants that aim to increase equity in education. 

Understaffing in the department also means it will take longer to investigate cases of discrimination in schools. For example, the termination of Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grants—which were designed to enhance education quality in high-need areas—reflects a broader targeting of diversity-focused programs. These grants were cut both for their mission and their connection to DEIs and “diverse ideologies.”

Under the current political climate, and as a member of minority groups that have been and continue to be targeted by this administration, I feel a deep fear about how these budget cuts will affect me and the people around me. But even beyond identity, the cuts make it harder for everyone to access education at all levels; they hurt the very people the government is meant to serve and protect.